Healthy sugar-free apple muffins

Two sugar-free weeks down! Woohoo! I’m halfway through Sugar-Free September and I’m feeling great. Although I haven’t felt very deprived at all, I’ve actually lost 4 pounds without even trying. I didn’t think I was eating that much sugar, so it’s pretty crazy that cutting it out has helped me drop a bit of extra weight. I’m not even sure what the biggest change in my diet has been. Other than avoiding store-bought salad dressing and steering clear of the candy aisle, I don’t feel like I’m missing all that much.

But I guess usually I would have eaten a few store-bought baked goods, and I would have probably eaten out at a restaurant 2 or 3 times. Maybe some all-you-can-eat sushi or thin-crust pizza. There might have been a bowl of ice cream, maybe a few handfuls of chips. Definitely a chocolate bar. Then there would have been that drizzle of maple syrup on my granola and those extra bananas in my morning smoothies. Even a pumpkin spice latte.

I guess that all does add up!

Having cut all those things out, what has my typical day looked like? Thinking back to the last two weeks, here’s a sample of my recent meals:

Late-Night Snack: sugar-free granola with almond milk, raspberries and cocoa nibs or chopped veggies and hummus or chia pudding with chocolate coconut mousse or a slice of sugar-free peach pie

Eating like this has left me feeling light, but energized. I’ll admit though, I have been fantasizing about the Nutella crepes I’m going to be enjoying next month while in Paris!

While I definitely won’t be avoiding sugar for ever, I am realizing that there are lots of places I can cut it out. Like these super easy healthy sugar-free apple muffins, which are perfect for ushering in the cooler fall weather with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Unsweetened apple sauce and a flax egg make for this easy muffin recipe that is vegan and contains absolutely zero added sugars.

I went with a pared down version, but these muffins are the perfect base for loads of fun mix-ins. Go crazy with blueberries, raisins or chocolate chips or add a smear of sugar-free chia jam and you won’t be missing any of the sugar or eggs at all.